New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-06-08
<csryENsE DICTIONARY.
suw INTERPRETER "BEN" CLARKE OFFERS AN
s -..=,. ,ropx 10 GENERAL SHERIDAN.

,r1rrrp 1ByN" CLARKE OFFERS AN
v,AnoRATr WORK TO GENERAL SHERIDAN
u..u,.o-oy. June tSpeciaD-A new contribution 70
.n literature OF the Indian tribes is the cheyenne e
80 and pctionary" prepared by Ben " Clarke, VINO
has bccn for twenty years Government Interpreter a w
~n.v.nne and Arapahoe Agency in Indian Territory
The manuscript been placed in the hands OF eenei
sheridan and probably will be submitted 10 froieeSo
powell of the Bureau of Ethnoogy, for examination
Respecting the author General Sheridan Id
with TRIBUNE correspondent, said
.I have known Ben Clarke since 1865 wnen i"was
campaign against the Cheycnnes Ara ae was little
and ComanSn,ss. Iner and found dcu to obtain
cndes Clarke at time young man Oh a. 1
years was ,U ns 90 my That made him my chief Of
guides After the expedition nc remained 9 o he in
FORMED me that he was engaged in the preparation OF me
Cheyenne dictionary and asked me II wonla Sco1 how
ever that he proposed comprehensive work rev
months ne came to 1 ana ve of
the Artillery, for such examination as ne Gou .he to
%.e RuT n ts has a sGH assigned him. made
what regard fair intelligent ana r shomld he
nsSed by the and that Clarke should be
suitably compensated for the time ana so far
Ibaye any knowledge who furnish so much rea1ng
The history aud language o. e in my hands
by him. and 1t would be bunder not 10 put t suo
share ana form na d may made mistakes IN
raphy syntax and punctuation do not IN my ~
defra
Shows Us The Cheyennes they have been and as they
are and gives the Cheyenne language as sne Is
ing
Lieutenant Duvall, in his report which is daeo APr
%, describes the work as follows
Tho sheets compose 400 closely written pages legal
car Win seoTfs History and dictionary The subject is
treated ty Mr. Clarke under the four headngs Etnhog
rases dictionary cheyenne nglsh 1855 pages; chey
enne of rivers localities ETC. ~ pages anu
English Cheyenne vocabulary, III pages.
describing the means he used to test the value OF
the authors labors, Lieutenant Duvall continues;
II have counted the words defined IN tae
and ad find ID them Sa E TO and ia
rivers, etc, in all nearly 5000 a ,,.oro,,in, has
perhaps the least intrinsic value The pathological sec
ton naturally dry reading to anybody et is more
difficult to approximate than III the case 81 any UtnT
subdivision We next come to the "a he
better arranged Indeed this criticism apples 10 an .e
manuscript except the dictionary IN @c order T
most suited TO lexicon. The grammar Is quite iui p1'
while to me L would be much improved by
TO it and incorY orating in appropriate places many " %
marvel Sow MI Clarke has done SO well with the purely
grammatical part of the theme when certain niiT
weighed against him The fact that his ortnGgrapny is
not above reproach that MS .Tugee are uniformly
disastrous to his dction that he habltuay mnItpes
,fe pnd hat his apparent knowledge punctuation
use OF capitals and solicitations quite inadequate, n All
this far from detraeng from the praise o hsyn The
think greatly enhances it. Finally we na.S sTv
crOwnDg piece that to which all the rest is
and subordinate the dictionary. In this Mr. carrie mas
shown himself a naturaborn photographer Inc Iac d
that he alone has been able to tabulae nearly c,OVo
words all the meanings of which have been observes
and noted by himself he having predecessor OF Se
shows what a persistent worker he has been. Ls
definitions are singularly clear, result nave thougn
of his being professional interpreter ms empoy
has naturally impressed upon him the importance Vi
incid explanations and certainly his dictionary leaves
nothing to be desired in this respect AS fair example
of his striking clearness in definition see the worn
.mnnoke page 90. and also NUT sin ha yuehk hago
los l. who q Cheyenne ped nor one OF tneli
pipes. could myself make both given the materials anu
tlsrkes definitions The definitions generally are as
satisfactory as these The delicate distinctions when
occur every and then, and which are eXpalIeu 10
shade are perhaps less surprising In themselves III
the fact of their existence at all In savage dlaec IMAM
i'm the singular vlvdness with which Mr. Clarke DIlngs
them out For example, in giving euphenlste Terms d o
vulgar conceptions which he frequently does tne lue
that savage should have delicate way OF saying
naughty gross things would be udicrous TO me We[e
il not so full of interest and instruction But tna whch
has most impressed is the astonishing fund OF lhor
nation given in the notes. definitions as TO the yeget
ables fruits. plants, herbs woods shrubs etc. OF inc
Indian country and OF the topography ana geography "
the same"